Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
A
B
Methane flares
Toppled blocks of coal up to 1 m long
15 m
Figure 5.1.6. (A) Opencast extraction of coal undergoing severe spontaneous combustion. (B) Toe of a failed
slope undergoing violent burning, caused by spontaneous combustion, Singrauli coalfield, India. Photo by
Donnelly and International Mining Consultants Limited, 2000.
By contrast, there are fewer fires on the high wall of opencast mines. This is not fully understood but may possibly
be attributed to the presence of groundwater that prevents ignition (observed where water seeps through the coal)
combined with less dilated discontinuities, reducing air ingress into the coal seams.
